Lindsay Davenport returned to the court Wednesday after taking almost a year off to have a child, losing a doubles match at the Pilot Pen to the top team in the world.

Davenport and partner Lisa Raymond were beaten by Cara Black and Liezel Huber, 6-7 (1), 6-3, and 10-4, in the match tiebreaker at New Haven, Conn.

But for Davenport, a former Chadwick School star, it wasn’t all about winning or losing.

“It was fun to be back,” she said. “Obviously, this is the first step in a long process.”

Davenport had not played since last September, and gave birth to her first child, Jagger Jonathan Leach, in June. She plans to return to singles play next month at a tournament in Bali.

ETC.: Roger Federer and Andy Roddick, last year’s U.S. Open finalists, could meet earlier in this year’s final Grand Slam of the season with a potential quarterfinal match looming. On the women’s side, top-seeded Justine Henin finds herself on the same side of the bracket with sisters Serena and Venus Williams.

Jurisprudence

A federal marshal has seized a $1.5 million dollar yacht that belonged to former NBA star Latrell Sprewell after he defaulted on the mortgage.

The marshal acted on a court order requested by a New York bank that plans to sell the boat to pay off $1.3 million it says Sprewell owes on the mortgage, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Sprewell’s firm, LSF Marine Holdings, hasn’t made its $10,322 monthly payments on time or maintained the necessary insurance on the boat, according to North Fork Bank.

Miscellany

Jerome Bettis, the No. 5 rusher in NFL history, claims in a new book that he faked a knee injury during training camp in 2000 so the Pittsburgh Steelers wouldn’t cut him and install Richard Huntley as the starter.

Bettis was worried offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride favored Huntley over him and the Steelers were ready to let Bettis go, partly so they wouldn’t have to give him a new contract. Huntley had just signed a $4 million, three-year contract.

“Man, did I do a nice job of acting,” Bettis wrote in the book, The Bus: My Life in and Out of a Helmet.

ETC.: Casino giant Harrah’s Entertainment announced it is joining with AEG, the company that brought David Beckham to the Galaxy, to build a 20,000-

seat arena in Las Vegas capable of housing an NBA or NHL team. The arena is projected to open in 2010. It’s a step toward attracting a pro sports franchise to a city that has tried to convince reluctant league officials to look past its legalized sports betting.

Horse racing

Street Sense will be the horse to beat again at Saratoga Race Course – this time the Kentucky Derby winner was made the overwhelming 3-5 favorite for Saturday’s $1 million Travers Stakes.

Last month, Street Sense won the Jim Dandy as the odds-on choice in his first start since his Triple Crown chances ended with a narrow loss in the Preakness on May 19.

Trainer Carl Nafzger expects his 3-year-old colt to improve by “three to five lengths” in the 1<MD+,%30,%55,%70>1/<MD-,%0,%55,%70>4-mile Travers.

College Basketball

Alabama point guard Ronald Steele will undergo a second arthroscopic surgery on his left knee today, but is expected to recover in time for the upcoming season, Coach Mark Gottfried said.

Steele, who had arthroscopic surgery on both knees in April, will be operated on by Drs. Lyle Cain and James Andrews in Birmingham. It is a follow-up procedure to the earlier operation for the senior.

ETC.: Illinois guard Jamar Smith will sit out next season following his drunken-driving conviction. Coach Bruce Weber said in a statement that Smith will redshirt and rejoin the team next fall as a junior if he meets unspecified obligations.

Pro basketball

The Atlanta Hawks shook up their coaching staff, hiring Alton Lister as an assistant coach and giving two assistants new duties.

Herb Brown and Greg Ballard, who had been on the bench with Coach Mike Woodson, will work as a consultant and a scout, respectively.

ETC.: Ukrainian center Kyrylo Fesenko signed a multiyear deal with the Utah Jazz.

Hockey

Free-agent Michael Peca, who missed the last half of the season with a broken leg, has agreed to a one-year deal with the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Columbus spokesman Todd Sharrock said Peca must pass a team physical. A formal announcement is expected later this week, Sharrock said.

Motorsports

Johnny Benson postponed a pit stop and then held off Brendan Gaughan to win the NASCAR Trucks Series’ O’Reilly 200 in Bristol, Tenn. When most drivers on the lead lap pitted after a caution on 35, Benson and crew chief Trip Bruce decided to wait and have a fresh set of tires later on in the race over Bristol Motor Speedway’s new surface meant to make passing easier. Mark Martin finished third and points leader Mike Skinner was fourth.

ETC.: Doug Herbert ended a nearly three-year winless streak to earn the final spot in the Countdown to the Championship, defeating “Hot Rod” Fuller in the rain-delayed final of the 23rd annual Toyo Tires NHRA Nationals in Mohnton, Pa. Herbert launched with a .039-

second reaction time, zooming down Maple Grove Raceway in 4.526 seconds at 323.43 mph to defeat Fuller 4.709.

Lacrosse

Greg Bice, a defenseman for the Carson-based Riptide, was named the Sportsman of the Year by Major League Lacrosse.

Bice, who has one goal and two assists in 12 games, was honored for his service to the community. In addition, he and his wife are moving to Honduras to teach science and math at an orphanage for a year.

Cycling

The head of the International Cycling Union is prepared to change the makeup of the

ProTour, including the number of teams and racers.

However, UCI president Pat McQuaid said he won’t get rid of the sport’s elite circuit.

In addition to the sport’s recent doping scandals, cycling has been torn by disputes and power struggles between the UCI, major race organizers, riders and anti-doping agencies. The ProTour model has been a major sore point.

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